WAIPAWA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3021, 2 March 1881, Page 2

WAIPAWA.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

March 1, 1881. Sunday was a gloriously wet day down here, and, in consequence, all nature, and nature's children, sent up a shout of rejoicing. Church-going duties in many a Waipawa home were shamefully set aside for the nonce, and heads of familiea sat with beaming faces at their parlor windows watching the steady downpour of rain, which lasted the whole day. There is only one class here, that I know of, who will regret the opening of " Heaven's flood-gates ;" I refer to those vendors of river water who for weeks pa6t were accumulating small fortunes by hawking that preciouß commodity around in carts. There can be no doubt but that the weather broke up in a very opportune moment for thosa gentlemen who had their sheep-runs recently devoured by fire, as moisture will soon cause the burnt grass to spring up again with renewed vigor. There is little fresh here in the way of news worth reporting at present. This morning I paid a visit to Waipukurau, where I learned that Messra Wilding and Co. purpose holding the erand opening day of their new steam sawmill at that township on Saturday next. In conjunction with the opening, there will be a " spread," to which all the workmen and others will be invited. Great praise is, I think, due to Mr Wilding for the enterprise shown by him in this undertaking. He is evidently the right kind of man for a rising township 9uch as Waipukurau.

Whatever can be the matter with .the clergy in this district ? Only a few weeks since we lost a much-respected minister, the Rev. Mr Spence, from Waipawa, and now it would appear that Waipukurau is to be bereft of both the English Church and the Presbyterian parsons. I cannot make it out. The Rev. J. Shearman, who for over three years has held the incumbency of St.Mary's Church, recently accepted an invitation to a parish in New South Wales, and will very shortly bid adieu to the village of the plains, while the Rev. R. Fraser, the worthy pastor of the Presbyterian Kirk, has also signified his fixed intention of quitting the genial climate of Waipawa County as soon as his flock can make it convenient to release him. Both these gentlemen are held in high regard by their respective congregations, and, I have no doubt, their departure will be very generally regretted.

On dit, at Waipawa, that a band of local " burnt-corkists" will shortly make their appearance in the Oddfellows' Hall at an entertainment to be given in aid of the funds of the new library buildisg. Thank goodness there is something coming along to stir us up a bit.